2.
Main Theses• problematic Modernities in contemporary Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are connected with specific path of their Modernization• transfer of modern models was one of the crucial channels for imperial Russia’s / USSR modernization• in imperial Russia’s / USSR cultural context, universities played unprecedented role in political and social modernization• university autonomy is an institution for and a measuring indicator of modernizational efficiency of a university institution in Russian Empire / USSR / post-Soviet countries

3.
Modernization• dissociation with traditional way of life, including European traditional culture• rationalization of a life-world (in economy, society, political sphere and science)• universalization of norms of action• socialization that formats abstract ego-identities• strict separation of the public and private spheres

4.
Modernization Sphere of Public Private Realm AuthorityCivil society Public sphere in the State(realm of commodity political realm (realm of the "police")exchange and social Public sphere in thelabor) world of letters (clubs, press)Conjugal familys internal (market of culture Courtspace products) (courtly-noble society)(bourgeuis intellecluals) "Town"

5.
Normal and Deviant ModernizationsHistorical Modernization often viewed as• normal: when rationalization takes place in economy, society, political sphere and science• deviant: when rationalization takes place in one of spheres sharpening contradictions with the other spheres – Sonderweg of Germany – Chinese modernization (I in 1960-s, II – in 1990-2000-s) – Soviet modernization

6.
Modernization and University• Modernity in social terms is being produced by autonomous collective agents legitimately opposing to power – request to limit the power – request for rational argumentation – request for legitimacy through rational conceptualization of authorities (rights, citizenship, political freedom etc)• special role of a university as institute responsible for – preservation of critical position – knowledge production promoting disenchantment of the world – production of Modernities’ human resources In imperial Russia’s / USSR cultural context, universities played unprecedented role in creating the public sphere, i.e. political and social modernization

7.
Autonomy of University• autonomy was the key feature for university to be one of the driving forces of social and political modernization – public institution with no direct authority function – driving force of rationalization of life-world with safeguarded self-governance• autonomy is a fundamental part of the University as idea and as a model with long history in Europe and worldwide• autonomy is an institutionalized practice preserving science and education from the ‘pathological’ interference For this presentation: university autonomy is an indicator to measure modernizational efficiency of a university institution in Russian Empire / USSR / post-Soviet countries

8.
Transfer of modernity institutes• in the non-Western contexts, transfer of development models / modern institutions was one of the ways of modernization• case of the Imperial Russia: – traditional regime: transferred models from the Eurasian states in XV-XVII centuries – beginning of modernization: transfer of imperial institutions from the West in XVIII-XIX centuries University as a model was transferred from the West as part of the Russian Modernity toolkit

9.
Transfer of University Model into Eastern Europe• first attempts to institutionalize a university in XVII-XVIII centuries in the Eastern Europe failed• successful transfer of the Western university model in the form of a STATE University – dominance of systemic approach – dominance of state goals – limited autonomy and controlled impact on the public matters• in spite of its limited freedom, institution of university played critically important role in modernization of Russia

10.
Specificity of University in Russian Empire• Paris University and Berlin University as ideal model transferred by Russian Government• use of universities with direct ideological nation-building goals• integration with authority structures• autonomy is limited, and viewed by authorities and academicians as unnecessary• university as an institution played a limited role in modernization of Russian Empire – week rationalization of political practices – reproduction of state-minded education with no support for development of public sphere

11.
Specificity of University in USSR• reproduction of the state-controlled model of university education• with all the ambivalent evolution of USSR, control over higher education and science was only growing• authorities recognized special role of academia by over- controlling it and by use it for technical modernization• Soviet modernization plans have always been self- contradictory: technical modernization is possible along with the social and political modernization

12.
Specificity of University in Post-Soviet Countries• in spite of different declared goals, societies of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus preserved political and administrative control over higher education and academic institutes – Ukraine: • delayed rebirth of hybrid Soviet-capitalist tools of universities control • week role of universities in modernization plans – Russia: • administrative and political control since 2005 • bigger role of universities in technical modernization plans and practices – Belarus: • full administrative and political control since 1998 • some role of universities in technical modernization• universities lost their modernization role in stabilized political regimes of the Eastern Europe

13.
Specificity of University in The Eastern Europe• state provides universities with limited autonomy• political regimes support dominance of rectors rule over Academic Council with special contracts between rectors and ministry• universities are part of systemic corruption and shadow economy• universities have limited role in research; almost invisible in global and local knowledge economies• declining impact on social and political modernization

14.
University Autonomy and Modernization in Eastern Europe• autonomy remains an unsolved issue in the whole region manifesting limitations for natural supporters to political/social modernization• university autonomy is an indicator of social modernization in post-Soviet countries• problematic Modernities in contemporary Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are connected with specific path of their Modernization